Hat shaping machine



May 1 2, 1931.

J. F. ROSELLE 1,805,050

HAT SHAPING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l W ATTORNEY.

May 12, 1931.

J. F. RQSELLE HAT SHAPING MACHINE Filed March 1, 19 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR n H A i WK ATTONEY May 12, 1931. J. E'RosELLE HAT SHAPING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet -a Filed March 1', 1930 May 12, 1931. J. F. ROSELLE 1,805,050

0 5 Sheets-Sheet 4' Filed March 1,.1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 lNvENTo'R ATTORNEYS Patented May' 12, 1931 JOSEPH F. ROSELLE, F CINCINNATI, OHIO HAT srrernve MACHINE. 7

Application filed March 1, 19s0. $eria1 No. 432,420;

This invention relates to improvements in hat shaping machines and particularly to a type in which a hat shaping die or form is enclosed between a stationary heated drum and a'movable pressure head, the pressure head having an elastic diaphragm fabricated with a central expansible core for engagement into the crown of the hat Within the cavity of the hat shaping die.

An object of the invention is to provide a hat shaping machine with a single pressure head movably mounted for interchangeably'cooperating with a plurality of stationary heating drums anda hat shaping die or form removably disposed within the drum adapting one drum to be used as a pre heater for the hat shaping die or form, a second drum for adjusting a hat, to be shaped, over a heated hat shaping die preparatory 29 to applying the pressure head, and a third in operation with the pressure head clamped to the drum. v

Another object of my invention is to pro- Vide a hat shaping machine adaptable for soft fe lt hats for dry cleaning while-you-wait service. 7 f v Another object of the invention is to provide form shaped coverings for protecting the rim and sweat bands of hats in reshaping soft felt hats within a shaping machine immediately after the hats have been renovated.

Other features and advantages of theinvention will be more fully apparent from a description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 isa front elevation of the'improved machine with a plurality'of stationary heating drums in an, aligned row and a pressure head in applied position to one of the drums.

Figure 2 is an end elevation showin'gthe' pressure head in an elevated position.

the machine with the parts in position as shown in Figure 1. I t

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line 4.4, Fig. 3. V I

Figure 5 is a detailed vertical section of a quickly and efficiently reshaping'renovated- Figure 3 is a top plan view'of one end of P the hat and bears upon the table or top plane locking means for the carriage carrying the pressure head.

Figure 6 1s a g of the heating drums'with the hatprotector rings in position for use. I

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the pressure head.

Figure 8 is a top ing die or form. I I

Figure 9 is'a side elevationthereof."

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a form shaped hat rim protector.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the hat sweat band protector.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the frame of a machine composed of. a plurality of vertical frame sections in spaced relation connectedby a pair of cross rails2, 3, in superposed relation bolted to the upper rear ends of the frame sections. A plurality of'hat shaping heater sections or drums 4 respectively are supported upon and between the pair of frame sections, either heating drums being employed, all of duplicate construction, and each provides a base orbed for a pressure head which combinestherewith to form a hat shaping. unit. The heating plan view of a hat shapdrums are arranged in a row or'alignment detail topplan view of one second along the track or rails '2, 3,adapting the several heating drums to beserved or combined with a single pressure head.

Each drum comprises a hollow casing of circular or annular-form provided with a central cylindrical chamber 5 surrounded by a hot water or steam jacket space 6. A h'at shapingform or die 7 for a particular size and shape of hat is [removably set into the chamber 5; Various'sizes and shapes of dies are employed forthe different sizes and styles of felt hats shaped. The. die is removablefrom the chamber 5 to be interchanged "with different sizes'and styles of dies and is rovided with a rim 8 to receive the brim 9 of nularflange l1 engaged by a revolvable lock ing collar 12 concentrically about the drum, a number of lugs or clips 13 being secured to the periphery of the drum. The collar has a plurality of latch lugs 14; extending vertically therefrom and at definite spacing apart for engagement with an annular flange 15 of a pressure head 16 for compressibly clamping the head and drum together while shaping or reshaping a hat interposed therebetween.

The locking collar has a handle bar 17 radially extending therefrom for manually revolving the collar in looking or unlocking directions. Each drum has inlet and outlet pipe connections 18, 19, coupled with supply and return pipes for supplying theheating medium to the annular jacket space or chamber within the drum. v

A pressure head-16 comprises a shell of inverted dish form having an annular marginal flange 15 peripherally notched at definite spacing corresponding to the number of latch lugs 14 extending from the locking col lar or ring for making a union coupling with the locking collar. The outer surface of the flange 15 between the notches are inclined for wedging the locking collar upwardly and the latch lugs are engaged thereon for compressibly binding or clamping the head and heating drum together.

The shell has an elastic or flexible diaphragm 2O fixed to the marginal flange of the shell forming a pressure chamber 21. The diaphragm centrally is provided with a bulbous expansible core 22 for engaging into the cavity of the die. The diaphragm covers the rim of the hat about the rim of the die and the core extends into the crown of the hat for compressing the same against the shaping surface of the cavity of the die under .a'degree of pressure imposed by the pressure medium within the pressure chamber 21. The general principal construction of the heating drum shaping die and pressure head with its expansible core are of conventional type generally employed in the hat industry for shaping felt stiff hats known as derbies. They generally incorporate single large and cumbersome presses.

The present machine, however, is contemplated for quickly shaping renovated soft,

felt hats and use in conjunction with a hat renovating process for while-you-wait service in which the hat outer trimmings as a hand and inside sweat band are not removed for either renovating or shaping. For such capacity the shaping machine must be capable for quick operation and provide reserve heating drums so they will be ready for use with the pressure head for a hat reshaping period. which consumes from three to live minutes. A second or other heater drums are available for inserting a second die and properly adjusting second renovated hat to the for reshaping and the machine is capable of being handled by an operator who is not an experienced hatter.

The pressure head is hingedly mounted upon the carriage 22 by a pair of arms 23-23 extending rearwardly from the shell with the free ends thereof swiveled upon a pivot pin or rod 24': supported in upstanding bracket arms of the carriage. The shell is also provided with a second set of rearwardly extending arms 2525 for carrying a counterweight 26 when the head is swung to its uppermost or upright position bearing against a yielding buffer 27 composed of a plurality of spring leaf members bent to angular form and secured to a cross frame of the carriage.

The carriage is mounted upon the track rails by a pair of load sustaining rollers 28-28 engaging upon the upper vertically disposed rail 2 and by sets of guide rollers 2929 depending from the carriage and respectively engaging relatively opposite edges of sides of the lower horizontally disposed rail 3.

The pressure head can easily be conveyed from one heating drum to a second and locked to the rail 2 when in registry with a selected drum by means of a spring-pressed detent 30, slidably mounted within a housing 31 fixed to a side of the carriage. The detent 30 is retracted or actuated by a hand lever 32 pivotally mounted upon the carriage and extended vertically for grasping reach of the operator from the front side of the machine. The detent engages into an aperture in the rail, an aperture being provided for each drum appropriately located with respect to the heating drum for automatically locking the carriage in any one of its drum selected positions. v

The shell ofthe pressure head is provided with a valve controlled manifold 33 consisting of pipe and valve fittings for a check valve control intake 34 and a manually valve controlled outlet 85, both intake and outlet connecting by means of flexible tube 3.6, 37, with the reservoir 38 mounted upon cross framing of the machine frame. The intake line or tube 36 connects with a hand operated pump 39 supported and mounted in the machine frame which provides the means for delivering the pressure medium to the pressure chamber'in the head end a determined pressure to a degree required for reshaping a hat. -.The pressure in the pressure head is released by a hand operated valve 35. The pressure medium may be supplied from any source and the pump may be motor driven. The pressure system herein disclosed represents .alocal method combined with the machine and primarily for use in localities in which. there is no commercial hydrant service ,or if a pressure service is not readily available at the pressure required.

the method of obtaining the pressure for the head as to detail, forms no part of the present invention so that no further detailed description is necessary to be made herein, the disclosure being sufficient to show that the head carries flexible connections for supplying and discharging the pressure fluid or medium.

The diaphragm being of rubber material has its outer marginal surface protected with a covering 41 of fabric material to insulate the same from the heated metal table surface of the drum to prevent the diaphragm from coming into direct contact with the heated metal surface of the drum.

Reshaping renovated hats immediately after renovation and without removing the interior sweat band of the hat, it is necessary to protect the under surface of the rim of the hat which would otherwise be exposed or come in direct contact with the diaphragm in its position over the rim of the die as well as the sweat band. The cleaned sur faces of the hat are slightly humid from the cleansing fluid which would cause the felt to adhere to the diaphragmj Likewise the'heat from the die would cause the sweat band, usually a glutinous treated leather or leatherette product, to adhere to the core of the diaphragm, which, if permitted, would ruin the hat.

After the hat has been applied within and over the die, the rim of the hat is covered with a crown shaped ring protector 42' of a stiff sole leather material, with the crown portion thereof following the shape or contour of the rim portion of the die, and the sweat band is covered by a protector ring or band 43 of fibrous material as paper. The sweat band protector ring 43 has a marginal flange 4A which slightly overlaps the inner ortion of the protector ring 42 for sustaining the protector 43 while the expansible core of the diaphragm is inserted into the crown of the hat in swinging the pressure head downward.

The machine is primarily contemplated for use in quickly reshaping renovated soft felt hats immediately after renovating, made feasible when the hat is renovated in accordance with the method described in a pending application filed by me on June 28, 1929,

Serial No. 374,451, the preferred renovating method consisting in swabbing the outer surfaces of the crown and opposite sides of the rim of the hat with a soft fibrous swab dampened with a tile cleansing fluid, care being exercised not to administer a saturating quantity of the cleansing fluid upon any portion of the hat using only enough to efiicientl remove the dirt and leave the felt surface slightly humid. The hat then is immediately inserted or applied over the die or form which is pre-heated and stationed within one of the drums of the machine and the rim and one of said heater sweat band respectively protected by the protectors 42,43, applied as heretofore described heat and pressure treatment for about fiveminutes. I

The expansible core within the crown of the hat below the reach of the sweat band may bear directly against the interior surface of the felt without adhering thereto as it is free from the cleansing fluid which willnot, under the small quantity used, penetrate through the thickness of the felt.

While one hat is being shaped, the second and third drums are used only for interchanging and pre-heating aselected size of die and the other for applyinga renovated hat over the heated die to be next in order for receiving the pressure head for a hat shaping operation. With a single pressure head interchangeable with a plurality of, heating drums, the pressure'head is practically in continuous service enabling a large number of hats to be reshaped quickly and expeditiously and also provides for a material reduction in the cost of the machine. The head is easily'translated from one heating drum to another as required and under controlling devices and requiring no skill on the part of the operator.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a hat shaping machine, a plurality of stationary heating drums each recessed to.

encircle the crown portion of a hat shaping die, and a pressure head hingedly and translatively supported for interchangeably 00- operating with a selected one of said heater drums for enclosing a hat shaping die and providing a flexible and expansible dia-.

phragm and core for compressing the hat against the hat shaping surfaces of the die.

2. In a hat shaping machine, a plurality of stationary annular heating drums and a single pressure head supported for interchangeably cooperating with a selected one of said heater drums for enclosing a hat shaping die the pressure head providing a flexible and expansible diaphragm and core for compressing the hat against the hat shaping surfaces of the die, and means for clamping the pressure head and cooperating drum together.

- 3. In a hat shaping machine, a plurality of stationary heating drums each for supporting a hat shaping die, a pressure head interchangeably cooperating with a selected drums for enclosing a die providing a flexible and expansible diaphragm and core for compressing the hat against the hat shaping surfaces of the die, a carriage for said pressure head for translating the same from one to a second drum, the head hingedly supported upon said carriage, for swinging the head into and out of cooperative position With a drum, and means for locking the carriage against motion With the head in registry With a selected drum.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

JOSEPH F. ROSELLE. 

